Repeating self-projecting elastic band type gun



E. G R! FFITHS Feb. 10, 1970 REPEATING SELF-PROJECTING ELASTIC BAND TYPEGUN Filed April 22, 1968 United States Patent M 3,494,345 REPEATINGSELF-PROJECTING ELASTIC BAND TYPE GUN Edward Grifliths, Ermelo,Transvaal, Republic of South Africa, assignor to Britains Limited,Walthamstow, London, England, a British company Filed Apr. 22, 1968,Ser. No. 722,937 Claims priority, application Republic of South Africa,Apr. 25, 1967, 67/2,411 Int. Cl. F41b 7/00, 7/08 US. Cl. 124-19 3 ClaimsABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to toys. Moreparticularly it relates to a toy gun for projecting elastic bands.

The well-known method of projecting an elastic band consists instretching the band over a longitudinal body and then releasing the rearend of the band from the body. Toy guns embodying this principle havebeen known for many years but, to the best of the applicants knowledge,no such gun has yet been devised which is capable of being loaded withseveral bands so that it can project the bands in rapid succession.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide such agun.

A toy gun according to the invention is provided with a firing recess inthe body of the gun adapted to accommodate the rear end of a stretchedelastic band, means to disengage the band from the firing recess toproject the band away from the gun, a series of non-firing recesses orthe like in the body of the gun each of which is adapted to accommodatethe rear end of a stretched elastic band, and means to transfer eachband in a non-firing recess to an adjacent recess in the direction ofthe firing recess so that as a band is displaced from the firing recessanother band takes its place.

Further according to the invention the disengaging means and thetransferring means are constituted by a member movable relative to thebody of the gun, the member being provided with a series of secondaryrecesses which are staggered in relation to the firing and the nonfiringrecesses.

Further according to the invention the movable member is adapted to bemoved by means of a trigger on the gun.

To illustrate the invention an embodiment thereof is described hereunderwith reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is substantially a side elevation of the gun of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional side elevation of the gun;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary view of a part of FIGURE 1 showing thepositions of the elastic bands in the firing and the non-firingrecesses; and

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 3 showing how the band in thefiring recess is disengaged and how the bands in the non-firing recessesare transferred to the adjacent recesses.

3,494,345 Patented Feb. 10, 1970 With reference to FIGURE 1 the gun 10is provided with a barrel 11 and a trigger 12.

As can be seen from FIGURE 2 the trigger 12 is formed integrally with anelement 13 which is slidable in an internal cavity 14 formed in the bodyof the gun.

The cavity 14 extends to the rear end 15 of the gun so that the rear end15 takes the form of two sides 16 flanking a slot 17 through which therear end 18 of the element 13 can protrude. This arrangement is apparentfrom FIG- URE 1.

The two sides 16 at the rear end 15 of the gun are provided with aseries of registering recesses. To facilitate explanation the uppermostof these recesses will be referred to the firing recess 19 and theremaining recesses will be referred to as the non-firing recesses 20.

The rear end 18 of the element 13 is similarly provided with a series ofrecesses. These will be referred to as the secondary recesses 21. As canbe seen from the drawings, particularly FIGURE 2, the secondary recesses21 are out of register with the firing and non-firing recesses 19 and20. In other words the one set of recesses is staggered in relation tothe other set. The arrangement is such that any particular secondaryrecess 21 is slightly below the corresponding firing or non-firingrecess.

To prepare the gun for firing an elastic band 22 is positioned aroundthe gun and stretched between a notch 23 on the element 13 and a notch24 on the forward end of the body of the gun. The purpose of the band 22is to bias the trigger to its normal position shown in FIG- URE 1.

Three additional elastic bands 25 are then stretched between a notch 26at the front of the barrel and each of the firing and the non-firingrecesses 19 and 20. When the trigger is pulled back the rear end 18 ofthe element 13 emerges from the slot 17. The hump above the uppermostsecondary recess 21 thus passes underneath the uppermost band 25 i.e.the band in the firing recess 19. This band is thus disengaged from thefiring recess and it is projected away from the gun. At the same timethe hump above the second highest secondary recess 21 passes underneaththe second highest band 25 and this band therefore slides into theuppermost secondary recess 21. When the trigger is released the humpabove the uppermost non-firing recess 20 passes underneath this band andthe band therefore slides into the firing recess 19. In a similar mannerthe third highest band 25 is simultaneously transferred to the uppermostnon-firing recess.

It follows therefore that the three bands 25 will be projected one afterthe other simply by pulling the trigger three times.

I claim:

1. A toy gun for projecting elastic bands comprising, a firing recessmeans in the body of the gun adapted to accommodate the rear end of astretched elastic band, means to disengage the band from the firingrecess means to project the band away from the gun, a series ofnonfiring recess means in the body of the gun each of which is adaptedto accommodate the rear end of a stretched elastic band, and means totransfer each successive elastic band in a non-firing recess means to anadjacent recess means in the direction of the firing recess means sothat as a stretched band is displaced from the firing recess meansanother band takes its place from the adjacent nowfiring recess means.

2. The invention as claimed in claim 1 in which the disengaging meansand the transferring means are constituted by a single member movablerelative to the body of the gun, the member being provided with a seriesof secondary recesses which are staggered, said disengaging meanscomprising a curved biasing member to bias the stretched elastic bandoff the firing recess means on the 3 4' ody of the gun and the transfermeans comprises a series References Cited f recesses staggered inrelation to the now-firing recess UNITED STATES PATENTS leans in thebody of the gun so that said recesses on 1 461257 7/1923 Thompson 124 18member bias the stretched bands Ofi the non- Coventry ring recess meansin the body of the gun into the ad- 5 3 437 034 4 19 9 Hytgr 124 19icent recesses in the direction of the firing recess means. 7 3. Theinvention as claimed in claim 2 comprising a ANTON OECHSLE, PrlmaryEXamlneI rigger on the gun to move the member. WILLIAM R. BROWNE,Assistant Examiner

